Chapter 55 I lost the girl

Chapter 55 I lost the girl

JAXON'S POV:

When I was a kid, maybe six or seven. My cousin, Brielle had forced me to watch Beauty and the Beast with her. I did it for no other reason than because she was older and knew how to make microwaved popcorn. And popcorn and a movie was some kind of Holy Grail on my books.

There was one part that really got me though. The part I asked her about for days after, when Gaston finds the beast castle, when shit hits the fan— when they're engaged in a battle, there's a part where the beast just….gives up.
He allows Gaston to take him and win the fight.

“Why” I asked for the four thousandth time.

“Oh my God, you little muppet, what's not to understand? He lost the girl! His life is pointless! He's better off dead than living like an old, lonely sod without her, he'll stay a monster forever.”

No truer words had ever been spoken and I felt that way right now. I felt like an old lonely sod, as I stood in the studio staring at Laura, scrolling at her phone. Knowing she was someone else's. Shit!
The thought nearly suffocated me.

She suddenly lifted her head up and our eyes met. I looked away immediately, quickly. Just in time to catch Jenna finish with her phone call. She was the reason I was here anyway. I made for her.

We needed to talk about Laura or more simply about her album.

“We need to talk.” I said immediately she stepped out of the threshold.

“Here or in your office.”

“In my office.” What I was about to discuss with her was business, and I didn't that flying about to the wrong ears.

I turned on my heels and tried to keep my face impassive as I marched out of the studio. I ignored the looks Laura sent my way. I didn't want to look at her. When that man pecked her last night, I discovered that it was scientifically impossible to die of a broken heart. Because if it was, I'd be a walking corpse by now. Done. Over.

That's how much it hurt to watch them from the car last night.

She was so beautiful.

He was so…not.

Undeserving of her— although, I wasn't sure I deserved her myself. But atleast I was way better than that guy.

I pushed the office door open and walked in. Walking round to perch my ass on the desk top.

Jenna sauntered through the opened door a minute later. She held my gaze while tucking her phone away into her purse.

“Have you talked with the insurance company?” I asked.

“Yes, I was on the phone with them just now.”

I nodded. “So how much are they willing to fork out for this album?” I wasn't going to stick my neck out again this time. Who knew if the whole shite was going to flop.

“They have agreed to foot half the bill.” She said in a quiet, guarded voice.

I drew a circle on the padded desktop. “And how much is the bill?”

She screwed her face a little, trying to get the whole figure together.

“Five million.” She finally breathed out after a while.

I sucked in a breath. “That's really some dough there.”

She said nothing, just studying my face.

I was getting cold feet already. What if this album flopped? What if something went wrong? It wasn't like I didn't trust Laura, it's just that a lot was at stake here. Not just this album, I was betting my career alongside this album.

“What are the chances of the success of this album?” I voiced my fears, my eyes not leaving hers.

She frowned a bit. “Mr. Jaxon, this whole thing is a process. We have to record the album first and then the radio stations would run the songs for trial on different hours of the day and see how it goes.” She paused and took a deep breath with difficulty, her brows knitting together. “That building hype takes time and patience.”

I stood up from the table, staring her down. “I have neither time nor patience, I need to be sure this will sell out.”

“It will.” She said firmly, staring at me fiercely barely holding back her rage. But I didn't care. I had a lot to protect already to care about whatever she was feeling.

There were already rumours flying about— no thanks to Will kiss-my-ass Bushel. Everyone already saw me as a reckless, willful and impulsive rich prick, and I would be proving them right if I crashed out two point five fucking million dollars in my first investment. There was no way I was going to convince those board members that I wasn't everything Will said I was. And my Dad explicitly told me that this morning.

It was either I get it in or I don't try at all. That was the only way to secure my position.

“If I'm funding this.” Which I was. “I need a fucking guarantee that this wouldn't flop.”

“Vixen has never had a flop in all this years, why do you think she'll now?”

I took a step closer to her. “There is always a first time for everything. Who knows she might decide she wants to drop a wack track this time. You have to ensure she doesn't.”

“She wouldn't.”

I nodded. “Good. My secretary would be handling everything from now on. If there's any problem let her know.”

“I'll make sure of that.” She nodded.

I pushed past her and walked out of the office. I didn't know if what I was doing was right or not by pushing Laura away.

Although Paul had advised me to go get her, hinting that all this might be a big misunderstanding— but I knew what I saw that night. And there was no way, that baby was a lie too. She was all over her social media page and the man too. I got to see his face on almost all her photos with her family. There was no mistaking. They were definitely partners, maybe not married but they were together and they had a child and I was just another sucker.

Who had tried desperately to woe another man's wife.

I was just another fucking sucker.

I glanced at my wristwatch, I was going to be late for the board meeting.